Altamonte Anticipates Saving Water With Recycle Program

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS — The city expects to save up to 8 million gallons of water per day in 1993 when its ambitious water recycling program is going full tilt.

That is nearly 3 billion gallons less water per year that will have to be drawn out of the Floridan Aquifer and almost that much less treated sewage that will be dumped into the Little Wekiva River.

As a play on the name of Epcot Center, the program is dubbed Project APRICOT -- for ''a prototype realistically innovative community of today.''

When finished in eight years, the program is meant to recycle about two- thirds of all the sewage treated at the city's wastewater plant, which is being expanded over the next two years to handle 12.5 million gallons per day. The water, after going through advanced wastewater treatment, will be returned through a new distribution system to homes, businesses and holding areas for irrigation, firefighting, toilet-flushing, car-washing and, perhaps, lake level control.

New subdivisions already are installing two sets of water distribution pipelines: one set for ''potable'' water for drinking, cooking and washing, and another for reused water for toilets and irrigation. The city is spending $10.5 million over the next eight years to build the distribution and storage systems.

A 6-million-gallon storage tank will be built near the sewage treatment plant on Keller Road and four or five elevated tanks, holding a half-million gallons apiece, will be built throughout the city, said Scott Gilbertson, city engineer and assistant director of public works.

Over the years, a second distribution system will be added to supply recycled water to existing parts of the city. Eventually, every home in the city may be able to use the nutrient-rich water for lawn sprinkling and other irrigation.

During dry periods, almost half the water used in the city goes for irrigation, Gilbertson said.

''The major thrust of APRICOT is to save groundwater,'' he said.

Officials expect the water to cost about 25 percent of the price of potable water. Homes may not be metered but charged a flat monthly rate for use of the water.

When state permits have been secured, the city wants to require homebuilders to install dual distribution systems within houses so that recycled water can be used in toilets. Older homes may be refitted also.

A dry pond behind the city fire station on Douglas Avenue is being readied for a pilot test to see if reused water can be used to help keep lake levels up in the Cranes Roost Basin. A culvert under Interstate 4 will connect the pond with Cranes Roost, which is linked with lakes Adelaide and Florida.

Some lakefront dwellers are known to oppose that plan, and the city still must seek the state's permission to put treated sewage into the lakes.

Final plans for the program will be drafted next year and the first leg of the system is expected to go into service in about 26 months.